Charles c



(No Model.)

' O. G. DOUGLASS.

BELT FASTENER.

No. 577,361. Patented Feb. 16, 1897.

STATES ATENT FFICE.

CHARLES C. DOUGLASS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES E. HAYES, OF SAME PLACE.

BELT-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,361, dated February 16, 1897. Application filed March 10, 1896. Serial No. 582,545. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: from thin flexible sheet metal and in the form Be it known that I, CHARLES C. DOUGLASS, of a blank A, having the straight elongated a citizen of the United States, residing in the strip or body B to lie transversely along the city and county of Philadelphia, State of belt and parallel with and over the meeting Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useedges thereof. A multiplicity of parallel pro- 55 ful Improvement in Belt-Fasteners, which jections extend outwardly from each longiimprovement is fullyset forth inthefollowing tudinal edge of this strip. Each edge has specification and accompanying drawings. two series of projections alternating long and This invention relates to certain improveshort, each projection tapering from the strip ments in belt-fasteners. It is well underoutwardly to a sharp point. The long pro- 60 stood among those skilled in this art that the jections C at both edges of the strip or body laced belt-fastenings wherein rawhide or preare all of the same length and usually shaped pared leather strips or the-like are laced back the same as and alternate with the short proand forth through the belt ends constitute an jections D, which are also of the same length.

exceedingly strong and yet flexible fastening, The outer portions of the long projections 65 but the expense and labor involved in thus 0 are bent down at right angles to form the lacing together the ends of the belt and the two straight lines of points of such a length necessity of removing leather from the belt as to pass completely through the belt and in forming the holes for the lacing offer sepermit effective clenching on the under side rious objections to such modes of fastening thereof. The short projections D are also 70 together the ends of the belt. bent down at right angles and in the same It is the object of my invention to provide direction as the long projections to form the an improved flexible-metal fastener which two rows of points between and parallel with can be easily forced through the belt ends the two rows of the long projectionpoints.

2 5 without weakening the belt by first cutting The short projections are bent down to form 75 holes therein and have all its narrow points points of a proper length to pass completely clenched on the under side thereof, and which through and permit clenching on the opposite is constructed to fasten the belt ends on the side of the belt, and hence all the points of principle of the lacing before referred to and the long and short projections are of approxi- 0 will thus attain the strength and distribution mately the same length. 80 of strain along the belt ends present in the All the outward projections from one edge lacing, and yet will be durable and very cheap of the body or strip are staggered in relation in first cost and easily and quickly applied. to those at the opposite edge of the body, so

The invention consists in a flexible-metal that the plane of the lengthof each projec- 3 5 fastener constructed as more fully and partion passes between a long and short projec- 8 5 ticularly pointed out and described hereintion at the opposite edge of the body; also, after, and specified in the claims. a greater number of long projections are pro- Referring to the accompanying drawings, vided than short projections, and they are so Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank as cut out arranged that long projections are at both from flexible sheet metal preparatorytobendends of each side edge of the fastener, the 0 ing down the points to form the completed four corners of the fastener being thus profastener. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vided with long projections of equal length completed fastener. Fig. 3 is an end view with the long and short projections arranged thereof. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the blank between them.

for a modified form. Figs. 5 and 6 are sec- In applying the fastener the belt ends are 5 tional views through a belt with the fastener brought together and the fastener placed uniting the ends thereof, Fig. 5 showing the thereon with the body above and parallel with points before clenching and Fig. 6 showing the end edges of the belt, and then pressure is them clenched. applied which forces the sharp points through The fastener is cut out in a single piece the belt and permits clenching thereof on the too opposite side of the belt. By reason of the thin tapered points the fastener can be easily and quickly forced through the belt without weakening the same, as results where holes have to be cut and leather removed. The lacing principle is followed in so staggering or arranging the outwardly-extending projections that each projection virtually pulls against two projections at the opposite edge of the body. Thus each short projection and also each long projection pulls against and is arranged opposite a long and short projection at the opposite edge of the body, so that the strain is equally distributed along the body and various projections, while the end long projections equalize the strain and pull at the ends of the body, so that there is no twisting strain on the fastener tending to pull one end thereof ahead of the other or to throw excessive strain on the short projections nearer the ends of the belt than thelongprojections. The lines of strain are diagonally across the fastener from each projection to the two opposite projections, as in the lacing. By reason of this arrangement wear and strain on the belt ends and tendency to pull the points through the belt are reduced to a minimum. Material advantages are also attained by the flexibility of such a fastener permitting it to bend with the beltand conform to the shape of pulleys without the jarring and thumping incident to the employment of rigid heavy fasteners which tend to separate the fastener from the belt and wear its projections through the belt, in addition to other disavantages.

The strength and effectiveness of the fastener are materially increased by having the intermediate body or strip with the projections extending outwardly from side edges, and hence pulling on each other through the body, while the four parallel rows of projections pass through the belt ends in different planes transverse thereof, reducing strain thereon at any one point to a minimum and distributing the strain.

In Fig. 4 a blank is shown for a fastener wherein the lacing principle is followed, although the ends of the fastener are not provided with the four long projections and the projections are slightly separated, dotted lines showing the bending points of the projections.

Vhat I claim is- 1. A belt-fastener formed of a single piece of flexible sheet metal so that the fastener can bend with the belt, the same consisting of an elongated strip or body having the plurality of pointed projections extending outwardly from its opposite longitudinal edges, and alternately long and short and all bent at right angles to form points to pass through the belt and be clenched on the opposite side thereof, the projections on one side of the body staggered with relation to those at the opposite side so that each projection pulls on two opposite projections in accordance with the lacing principle, substantially as shown and described.

2. The belt-fastener composed of a flexible metal strip or body having the plurality of tapered pointed projections extending outwardly from its opposite edges and all turned down to form points to pass through and be clenched on the under surface of the belt, the projections at each side alternately long and short so that four rows of points are formed, the projections at one edge staggered with relation to those at the opposite edge so that each projection is arranged opposite and pulls against a long and short projection the four corners of the fastener having the long projections, substantially as shown and described.

CHARLES C. DOUGLASS.

Vitn esses:

JOHN A. WIEDERsHEIM, WM. 0. WIEnEnsHEIM. 

